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Eazy-E (rapper)
Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), better known by his stage name Eazy-E who is affectionately called "The Godfather Of Gangsta Rap" was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California. After dropping out of high school in the tenth grade, he supported himself primarily by selling drugs before investing in Ruthless Records and becoming a rapper. When Ruthless artists Dr. Dre and Ice Cube wrote "Boyz-n-the-Hood", Dre, Cube, and Eazy formed N.W.A. After DJ Yella, MC Ren, and Arabian Prince joined the group, N.W.A released N.W.A. and the Posse. In 1988, they released their most controversial album, Straight Outta Compton. The group released two more albums and then disbanded after Eazy released Dr. Dre from his contract. Eazy's main influences included 1970s funk groups, contemporary rappers, and comedians. When reviewing Eazy's albums, many critics noted his unique overall style, with Steve Huey of the All Music Guide summing up: "While his technical skills as a rapper were never the greatest, his distinctive delivery (invariably described as a high-pitched whine), over-the-top lyrics, and undeniable charisma made him a star." Early life and Ruthless Records investment Eric Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright on September 7, 1964, in Compton, California, a Los Angeles suburb notorious for gang activity and crime. His father was a postal worker and his mother was a grade school administrator. Wright dropped out of high school in the tenth grade, but later received a high-school general equivalency diploma (GED). Wright supported himself primarily by selling drugs. Wright's friend Jerry Heller admits that he witnessed Wright selling marijuana, but says that he never saw him sell cocaine. As Heller noted in his book Ruthless: A Memoir, Wright's "dope dealer" label was part of his "self-forged armor". Wright was also labeled as a "thug". Heller explains: "The hood where he grew up was a dangerous place. He was a small guy. 'Thug' was a role that was widely understood on the street; it gave you a certain level of protection in the sense that people hesitated to fuck with you. Likewise, 'dope dealer' was a role that accorded you certain privileges and respect." In 1986, at the age of 22, Wright had allegedly earned as much as USD $250,000 from dealing drugs. However, he decided that he could make a better living in the Los Angeles hip-hop scene, which was growing rapidly in popularity. He started recording songs during the mid-1980s in his parent's garage. The original idea for Ruthless Records came when Wright asked Heller to go into business with him. Wright suggested a half-ownership company, but it was later decided that Wright would get eighty percent of the company's income, and Heller would only get twenty percent. Heller said to Wright, "Every dollar comes into Ruthless, I take twenty cents. That's industry standard for a manager of my caliber. I take twenty, you take eighty percent. I am responsible for my expenses, and you're responsible for yours. You own the company. I work for you." Along with Heller, Wright invested much of his money into Ruthless Records. Heller claims that he invested the first $250,000, and would eventually put up to $1,000,000 into the company. Discography * Music *Eazy-Duz-It *5150 Home 4 Tha Sick *It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa *Str8 Off Tha Streetz Of Muthaphukkin Compton Music Videos *Eazy-er Said Than Dunn *We Want Eazy *Only If You Want It *Neighborhood Sniper *Real Muthaphukkin G's *Any Last Werdz *Just Tah Let U Know Videos * Links * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eazy-E See Also * List of CEO's * List of Rappers and Rap Groups * List of Rappers * List of American rappers and rap groups * List of American rappers * List of Greater Los Angeles Area rappers and rap groups * Lil Eazy-E (rapper) * Baby Eazy-E (rapper) Category:Wikipedia Category:CEO Category:American hip-hop Category:American rappers and rap groups Category:American rappers Category:African American rappers Category:American hip-hop record producers Category:Hip-Hop record producers Category:West Coast hip-hop Category:Gangsta rap Category:Ruthless Records Category:1980's hip-hop Category:1980's rappers Category:1990's hip-hop Category:1990's rappers Category:Dead rappers Category:Rappers and Rap Groups in Greater Los Angeles Area Category:Rappers and Rap Groups in Compton, California Category:Rappers and Rap Groups Category:Rappers Category:September 7 birthdays Category:1964 births Category:Kelly Park Compton Crips Category:Father's Category:N.W.A Category:Members of the Crips Category:Gangsta rappers